Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center At Lakeside Lands Major Architectural Award

The Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park was just awarded with the highest honor in the field of architecture, with the facility that opened last year after an extensive, and much-celebrated, renovation project edging out hundreds of other candidates for the American Institute of Architects’ 2015 Honor Award, the LeFrak Center announced Friday.

“It is a true testament to the strength of the LeFrak Center’s design that it is enjoyed by both the local community and the national architectural community alike,” Sue Donoghue, president of the Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates Prospect Park in partnership with the city, said in a press release. “The restoration of Lakeside has set the bar in terms of what can be achieved in Prospect Park, and we look forward to continuing to further this vision.”

The $74 million restoration of the year-round skating and recreational facility finished last year, and Lakeside opened its doors to the public in December 2013. Designed by the renowned Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, in collaboration with Prospect Park Alliance’s chief landscape architect, Christian Zimmerman, the facility debuted to much fanfare that celebrated the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since the park’s creation nearly 150 years ago.

“We feel so lucky to have had this chance to do truly public work,” said architect Billie Tsien. “It is the most democratic and thus most important work we can ever do.”

The AIA Honor Award Jury heaped praise on the LeFrak Center, saying:

The natural flow of this site was fully re-created by the transformation of an asphalt parking lot into a beautiful and thoughtful design.

The stonework grounds this facility as a landmark within the park, while the openness of the design itself allows for complete amalgamation with the views and the experience of nature.

Every design decision was made so as to ease use for patrons and also minimize the impact on the park. This is a beautiful, natural spot for visitors to enjoy a sensory experience.

The LeFrak Center was one of 11 institutions across the world to be honored with the AIA award. It was one of just two New York City recipients, with the other being the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. Other winners included the Danish Maritime Museum in Denmark; the Sant Lespwa, Center of Hope in Haiti, and the Cambridge Public Library in Massachusetts. A full list of the honorees can be seen here.

Entry to the LeFrak Center is free and open to the public, with an admission fee for skating. Hours, admission, skate prices, and other information can be found on the LeFrak Center’s website.